The Boy with the Sad Eyes
by Aerosyne
Summary: "The first time they met, it was in passing. The first thing he noticed were the eyes, sad, sad eyes, like there was a weight in them, but also the kind of look Jiji gave him when he ended up in the hospital after his birthday." AU Canon divergence, mild Yoai, multi pairing. (Rated T, based on future language)


**(A/N) Hey guys, I really shouldn't be starting another story, considering the state of Untitled Fic, and Mantis (which I may end up deleting, unless someone adopts it, I have no Idea where I was going with it.) But this one came to me in a stroke of genius, and I hope you like it.**

* * *

The first time they met, it was in passing. He had always been good at reading people by their eyes. Faces could lie, and so could body language, but the eyes were always true. He learnt that early on, and it saved his life many times growing up (the animal masked people took care of the other times, but he didn't learn that until much later on.)

The weather in Konohakagure was always fair, even in the fall and spring, but that fall it was particularly cold, and the rain that fell that day was particularly biting and stung his cheeks and neck, and with the cooler weather, the people's gazes got colder too. He had been walking down the street, minding his own business, passing the stalls and small restaurants with well concealed hunger and jealousy. Watching families all smiling and happy was the quickest way for his moods to sour, not even the cold, unwelcoming gazes killed his childish joy as quick as that (they didn't know him, didn't take the time, so they didn't matter, Jiji always smiled and his eyes were warm, and he knew.)

He'd been getting harshly checked out of the way the entire time during his stroll, but one particularly harsh shove sent him careening into a puddle of frigid water and mud. There were a few factors that caused him to stay there for a while (amused looks and whispered chuckles notwithstanding,) after the cold, dreary weather, pleasant families walking by, the cold looks and menacing glares. One could only act a fool and happy for so long. (He'd been six at the time, too young to understand these things.) So he sat, watching the water drip from his hands, and the mud seep into his new pants, a gift from Jiji for an early birthday present.

He was content to sit there and wallow in it, until a hand-finger tips, to be exact- lightly pressed on his shoulder, drawing his attention up and to the side. The first thing he noticed was the mask (He called them the animal guys, but Jiji politely corrected him, saying "They're called ANBU, Naru-chan, very skilled ninja." but that was a long time ago.) But then he noticed the eyes, sad, sad eyes, like there was a weight in them, but also the kind of look Jiji gave him when he ended up in the hospital after his birthday the year before. (worry) And that immediately gave the boy, because he was too small and scrawny like himself, to be a man, props in his mind, because nobody looks at Naruto like that in the village.

He remembered clearly, that the "animal guys" didn't talk back to him when he tried, but he knew they heard him, and they left fresh food in his home, so he didn't mind. What he did mind, was the sad eyes looking at him, he didn't want the boy sad like he was.

"I'm okay mister! Just a little tired is all." It was all he could come up with, he didn't want the eyes to look like that any longer. (He hated when Jiji looked at him like that, made him feel bad.)

The animal-masked boy gave a short bobbing movement, a nod, and stood, holding his hand out. It wasn't his fault that Naruto flinched, ingrained reflexes and all. The boy recoiled, and at that moment Naruto was worried he'd done something wrong again, but then the hand came back, slower this time, and it didn't take a genius to realize he wanted Naruto to grab the hand (there was nothing on it) So he did, and with a gentle tug, Naruto was out of the puddle and back on his feet. (On solid ground in the world, really.)

The boy's eyes changed then, to almost… nice, and then with a gentle nudge on his shoulders, he sent Naruto back down the street. Naruto went willingly, of course, after the initial push his feet started moving, and it was until he got five steps away, and looked back, that he realized the boy with the sad eyes was gone.

He didn't _see_ the boy again for two more years, but he remembered how his body felt ("chakra, Naruto my boy." Jiji corrected patiently,) and how the boy's eyes looked. He had felt the aura near him, sometimes little traces of it left over in his apartment, and he didn't feel so along or cold anymore.

* * *

 **(A/N) So yeah this was one big 4am sleep deprived induced idea, and as I'm going I'm making progressively more typos. I'll end this here.**

 **Aero-**


End file.
